What might have been
by Naphtali
Summary: what would have happened if the musica had not picked up hayami?
1. Rescue

ok.....basic obligatory stuff. I don't own these characters.....please dont sue me, i have no money! they belong to gainax i think, if someone could confirm that for me, thatd be great.... Anyway, this is my first attempt at a fanfic, so don't verbally rape me with your reviews. that reminds me, nice reviews are nice, but mean reviews aren't. ask a friend if you don't understand what i mean. so........on with the show.  
  
basic hayami and mutio fic, loosely based on the 3rd ep, except without all the stuff besides what happened when hayami was stranded. i said loosely based.  
  
If I get good reviews I will add the other chapters I wrote. If not, I will probably do it anyway.  
  
  
  
As Hayami slowly regained conciousness, he realized two things pretty quickly. First of all, he wasn't dead. This was surprising as his last memory was drowning amidst the wreckage of Blue Dome. And second, he wasn't in the water. Well that wasn't entirely true, from the legs down he was under water. As he looked at the water, he noticed something slowly swimming to the surface. To his surprise, the girl-creature he had saved a few days ago appeared and watched him from a few feet away. And suddenly he knew how he got to where he was.  
  
"You saved me, didn't you?" Hayami asked. The small girl, whose name was Mutio, didn't respond. Hayami sighed and before he could say anything else, the girl dove down under the water again. He considered calling out for her, but decided not to. Moments later, she returned, this time with a fish in her mouth. Hayami smiled as Mutio placed the fish beside him. Reaching into his pockets, he found the lighter he used to light his cigarettes. He began searching for something to burn, and quickly discovered that, unlike a forest, the ocean isnt very flammable. Sighing, he tore a strip off of his overcoat and started a small fire. Soon the fish was cooked and he tore into it with a vengeance, having not eaten since who knows when. He then remembered why he even had the fish in the first place. He turned and looked at the girl, who had been sitting there all along.  
  
"Would you like some fish? It's the least I can do after you....ya know, saved my life and all." Mutio just smiled back at him, and he remembered that she did not speak any language he knew, if any at all. He tore the fish in half and handed her the better half, which she took from him and began to nibble on. He smiled at her and resumed eating his fish. As he finished, he noticed that his neck was starting to get pretty hot. Heck, all of him was getting pretty hot. And he knew exactly who, or what to blame this on.  
  
"That sun sure is bright," Hayami told Mutio, who just smiled at him. Hayami looked around and, not finding anything to take shelter under, took off his coat. With a metal rod that he had managed to pry off the wreckage, Hayami was able to fashion a crude tent.  
  
"It isn't pretty to look at, but I think it will do the job," he said as he lay down under the coat. The combination of the warm sun and the fish he had just eaten started to make him fill sleepy, and the fact that he really had nothing else to do wasn't helping keep him awake. Hayami closed his eyes and was beginning to drift off to sleep when he felt something pressing on his shoulder. He opened his left eye and saw that his new friend was curled up next to him. There was only one thing he could say in this situation.  
  
"I have to tell you that I snore, so don't expect to get a good nap," Hayami said with a grin. Mutio just smiled at him and closed her eyes. Hayami laid his head back and within moments both were sound asleep. 


	2. Sickness

Chapter 2……….same stuff applies. Don't bash it, don't sue me cuz I don't own the characters, and I am accepting donations. Why? Because I am hungry.  
  
  
  
Hayami awoke to the sound of the waves breaking on the wreckage of Blue Dome and Mutio breathing softly beside him. He sat up and looked around, hoping to see anything that might indicate that there was land nearby. Seeing nothing but not really caring, Hayami yawned and stretched. At that moment, "nature called" and he realized that he really REALLY had to go. He walked over to the edge of the wreckage and relieved himself, praying to whatever diety was listening that Mutio would not wake up. He soon finished and sat down, watching the sun moving across the sky. The sunset was just beginning, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that night came after that. As he was contemplating the intricate workings of nothing, his stomach began to growl. Sighing, he looked around for something to eat. Of course he found nothing, so he did what seemed to be logical. He broke off a piece of the wreckage and started looking for a crumb from the fish he had earlier.  
  
"I am such a genius," he said as he strode over to the edge of the water. Tossing the crumb into the water, he watched. And watched. And watched. And then he saw it. A medium-sized fish investigated the crumb, and right as it went to eat it, Hayami simply bashed it with the pipe he had in his hands. He grabbed the fish and soon had a decent fire going, using another strip of cloth from his coat. The smell of smoke woke Mutio, and she joined him under the tent to munch on the fish. The pair sat silently for a while, content to just eat and enjoy the other's company.  
  
"Ya know, being marooned on what's left of one of mankind's last bases with no hope for rescue and my day-to-day survival uncertain……really isn't that bad," Hayami said as he looked over at Mutio. She smiled at him and offered him part of her fish. He declined, opting instead to sit and watch the waves move. Now as anyone who has been on a boat (or a piece of Blue Dome) can tell you, this isn't smart. Hayami soon learned why as the swaying motion started to get to him. Not knowing to stop, he soon felt the inevitable sickness in his stomach. Moments later he was bent over near the water, puking his guts out. Mutio was immediately at his side, trying to figure out what was wrong. Hayami sat down and tried to regain his senses. He had seen waves before, he shouldn't have been affected this much. As he sat and thought, he figured out what must have happened. He had gotten sick, simple as that. His thoughts were confirmed by another wave of nausea that made him lay down.  
  
"Well isn't this great," he said as his head started pounding. He needed to know if he had a fever, because that would be really bad with no medicine whatsoever. He took Mutio's hand and placed it on his forehead. She quickly withdrew her hand, confirming what he believed. He started to drag his quickly weakening body over to the tent. Mutio saw what he was doing and pulled on his arm as hard as she could. Hayami dismantled the tent and used his coat as a blanket. Night was coming quickly, and the air wasn't getting any warmer. Mutio disappeared for a moment, and Hayami thought that maybe she had decided to abandon him for the night. He was greatly relieved when she did return, after she had apparently been swimming. His wondering about why she had been swimming ended when she put her wet hands on his head. Hayami sighed as the water cooled his already blazing fever. The sun finally disappeared to the west, and within moments the temperature started dropping. Hayami's teeth chattered, as the coat was not enough to keep him warm. Mutio watched him and even though she wasn't exactly knowledgeable about humans, was able to determine that he was cold. So, she did what seemed to her to be the best way to keep him warm. She crawled under the blanket with Hayami and wrapped her arms around him. Hayami instantly felt the warmth from Mutio's body began to warm his as well. He managed to whisper a thank you before the fever made him lose conciousness all together. 


	3. Recovery

Chapter 3……..dont sue me, I don't own these characters. Give me money, I'm still hungry. Write reviews. Dance a jig.  
  
  
  
Hayami awoke in the middle of the night and knew one thing: he was thirsty as hell. He fished around in his pockets and found the thing all members of the fleet were required to have, just for situations like this. That's right, a little handheld water purifier. Basically you put it in your mouth and just drank with it, and it was supposed to filter out stuff like salt and other impurities. Hayami started to move towards the water but was stopped when his headache returned with vicious force. He continued crawling to the water and soon had drank enough to quench his thirst. As his fever became worse he groaned and layed back down. Only then did he notice that Mutio had been right next to him. He then remembered that right before he had lost conciousness, she had curled up with him to selflessly share her body heat with him. He shuddered to think what the night would have been like without her there to keep him warm. As he lay there looking at her, she started to wake up. He quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Mutio sat up and looked at him, happy to see that he appeared to be better than he was the night before. She ran her rans through his hair and begin to sing the song she learned from her sisters on the Phantom Ship. Hayami opened his eyes and looked at her, amazed that anyone could sing such a beautiful song. Mutio smiled at him and gently caressed his face while she continued to sing the peaceful song. Hayami realized that even though he was stuck in the middle of the ocean, sick with who knows what, there was no place else he would rather be than lying there listening to Mutio sing. As Mutio finished her song she leaned down to Hayami's face and looked in his eyes. Hayami surprised both of them by pulling her into a kiss. Mutio did not know what to do, but soon found that she was enjoying this new experience. After about 30 seconds Hayami broke off the kiss and looked at Mutio to see her reaction. She smiled the sweetest smile that he had ever seen and stretched out next to him. Hayami closed his eyes and tried to will away the fever burning in his head and the freezing cold in the rest of his body. Mutio noticed his look of discomfort and once again crawled under the blanket. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. Hayami put his arms around her and soon was fast asleep.  
  
Hayami awoke the next morning with Mutio no where to be found. He figured that what happened during the night must have been a dream, albeit a good one. Mutio appeared from under the water and tossed a fish out of reach of the waves. She crawled over to Hayami and checked on him, making sure he was breathing and that he didn't appear to be hurting. Satisfied that he was ok, she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. All of Hayami's doubts about the previous night were erased as she briefly caressed his face before returning to the task of preparing the fish. She soon had gotten the meat separated from the rest of it and offered it to Hayami. He gladly accepted and chewed the fish, watching Mutio as she basked in the morning sun. Hayami soon managed to stand and walk to the opposite end of their makeshift island to relieve himself, and returned after a few minutes. He noticed that he was beginning to feel better, and was soon strong enough to sit up for a while and look around. As he casually glanced at the ocean, he thought he saw something. He quickly stood up and then had to fight off the wave of nausea that came. As his vision cleared he could see a dark spot on the horizon. Since it hadn't been there yesterday, he figured that the wreckage he was on must be drifting towards the dark spot. He sat down and sipped some water from his purifier while continuing to look at the spot. Mutio soon sat down beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Hayami smiled and put his arm around her, pulling her tighter against him.  
  
"What do you think that is? Do you think it could be a ship? Heck, maybe its even land," Hayami said. He looked at her as she stared intently at the dark smudge on the horizon. Unlike him, she knew that it was in fact land. She smiled up at Hayami and began to sing again while slowly rocking back and forth. Hayami sighed contentedly and hummed along, remembering the tune from when she had sung it before. Whatever was on the horizon, the wreckage would reach it soon enough. 


	4. Land

This isn't my anime, so don't sue me. No one has written a review yet, that kind of makes me sad. Kinda because I didn't expect anything out of you people. Read and run, it's all you do *shakes head sadly* on with the show, break a leg, Imagine the audience in their underwear, and as Kramer said "hoochie mama"  
  
  
  
Hayami opened his eyes as the morning sun began to shine down on him. He slowly stood up and stretched, careful not to wake the still sleeping Mutio. He went through his daily regime: relieving himself, catching his breakfast, and eating it. Hayami took the time to catch a separate fish for Mutio and cleaned it. As he waited for her to awake, he looked at what was obviously now an island. He figured that it has been about 2 weeks since his rescue by Mutio, and still no rescue attempt. Hayami decided that when the floating wreckage got close enough to the island, he was going to swim for it. At the rate the tide was carrying him towards the island, the next morning would be the ideal time to make the journey. His thoughts were interrupted as Mutio sat down next to him. He offered her the second fish, and she eagerly accepted. In no time at all she had devoured the fish and was sighing contently. Hayami turned to her and voiced the thought that had been plaguing his mind for a while.  
  
"When I am finally back on land, are you going to leave me?" he asked Mutio. She had learned a few human words during her time with Hayami, but she did not understand what he said. So she simply smiled up at him and leaned on his shoulder.  
  
"Well, I hope that meant yes. I would hate to lose you now, seeing as I am probably never seeing another human again. If I had you with me, that wouldn't really be half bad."  
  
The rest of the day went by, and still the island drew closer. Hayami spent the time trying to explain to Mutio what he was going to do. He kept pointing at himself and then pointing to the island. After a while Mutio understood, but showed no reaction. Hayami feared that she thought that he was leaving her, so he pointed to her and then pointed to the island. She smiled and nodded her head. Hayami was glad that she would be coming with him, a lifetime of loneliness is pretty…..well, lonely.  
  
As night fell, Hayami and Mutio curled up under the coat they had been using for a blanket and prepared to sleep. Hayami kissed Mutio on her forehead before closing his eyes, and she scooted closer to him before she too fell asleep.  
  
The next morning Hayami woke up when the sun rose, and immediately eyed the position of the island. He was relieved to see that it was easily within swimming distance. He quickly bundled up the coat and the various tools he had been using to survive and fashioned a crude knapsack. He gently shook Mutio awake, and pointed towards the island. She immediately understood what he meant and started crawling towards the water. Hayami strapped the sack to his back, and was glad to find out that it was not too heavy. He slipped into the water beside Mutio and started the short swim to the island. Although it was not more than 100 yards, the stuff on his back began to tire him. With 30 yards to go Hayami felt his muscles begin to cramp. He called out to Mutio as a wave washed over his head. Mutio, who had been swimming in front of him, turned and quickly dove down to grab Hayami. She helped him swim the remaining distance and they both collapsed on the sand. As Mutio and Hayami dried off in the sunlight, she began to sing her beautiful song. Hayami reached over and pulled her into a kiss, which was something she had been getting better at during the past few weeks. They continued to kiss for several minutes before they stopped and looked into each other's eyes. Hayami summoned the courage to say what he had been feeling for a while now.  
  
"You know what? I….well…..I love you," Hayami said as he gently caressed Mutio's face. She smiled at him and took hold of his hand, holding it to her cheek. The pair lay back in the sand and watched the sun slowly make its way across the sky. Soon the two were sound asleep, the swimming earlier having worn them both out. 


	5. Construction

You know the drill: don't sue me, these aint my chars. Feel free to review it, in fact reviews are encouraged. Review my story now. NOW. Sorry, on with the story….  
  
  
  
  
  
Within a few days of swimming to the small island, Hayami had erected a small structure to provide protection from any storms that might appear and from any animals that might happen to live there. He had found several fruit bearing trees and soon had a fairly large pile of edible food inside his little house. Mutio was amazed by the things he brought back, and was even more surprised when he took a bite out of a yellow thing he called "ba na na". Hayami broke off a piece of the banana and offered it to Mutio, who hesistantly nibbled on the fruit. Upon discovering that the fruit was delicious, she quickly gulped down here piece and grabbed another banana. Surprisingly, this one wasn't chewy, but was very rubbery. Hayami took the banana from her and peeled off the skin. He then gave it back to her and she resumed eating. Soon the two had eaten a large amount of fruit and were very full. Hayami offered Mutio a sip of some water he had found in the interior of the island. There was a large freshwater spring, and as best he could tell it was clean water.  
  
"You know what this is like? An old story I once read, Swiss Family something. They were marooned on an island and built a huge house and lived there pretty well. Think we'll be able to do the same?" Hayami asked. Mutio had never read anything in her life, so she didn't know what he was talking about. Hayami didn't care though, he was used to her silence and loved her nonetheless. The two let their food digest for a while before deciding to play in the surf. Hayami stripped down to his boxers and the two waded out to about chest deep water. Mutio was at home and the water and showed it by swimming circles around Hayami. He just waited until she surfaced and splashed her in the face. She splashed him back and a few seconds later the two were embroiled in the splash war of the century. Hayami was being beaten pretty badly so he just tackled Mutio, pulling them both under the water. Moments later they came back to the surface, coughing and spitting out water. Hayami decided that he had had enough playing and waded back to the shore. He sat down on the sand and watched Mutio zip back and forth through the water, chasing schools of fish.  
  
"Man, she sure can move fast in the water. I guess that makes sense, seeing as she was created to live in the sea," Hayami said as he continued to watch Mutio. Soon she had finished her swimming and came ashore. She plopped down beside Hayami and leaned against him, slightly panting from swimming so hard. Hayami put his arm around her and hugged her close to him. Mutio smiled and and lay back on the sand, dragging him down with her. She put her head on his chest and sighed. Hayami started humming the song that Mutio sang all of the time, and in no time she had fallen asleep. Hayami carefully laid her on the sand and got up.  
  
He walked over to their little house and dismantled it. Hayami then went into the forest and looked around until he found 4 fallen tree trunks. He dragged the trunks back to the edge of the forest and 4 deep holes into the sand. He then placed the trunks into the holes, deep enough that they would not budge. Then, using some vines he had found in the forest, he tied thick branches to the trunks to connect them together. He then went back into the forest and collected many relatively flat sided branched. Hayami returned to the frame he had made and laid the branches horizontally, creating a crude floor. He then tied the branches to the frame and repeated the process to create walls. In about 2 hours he had created a one room house, complete with fancy roof. Hayami stood back to admire his accomplishment.  
  
"Well, it beats sleeping on the sand. Sure hope the thing doesn't collapse and kill me in my sleep. Wouldn't that be the irony to end all ironies, being killed by the structure that is supposed to protect me from the elements." Hayami walked back over to where Mutio lay asleep and sat down beside her. He watched her sleep for a few minutes before he felt exhaustion set in. Thinking back, he had worked pretty hard to get the house finished, and he had earned some rest. So Hayami lay down beside Mutio and was asleep in no time. 


	6. Storm

If you haven't figured it out by now, here's the deal. These aren't my chars, don't sue me. I have so little money you would have to pay ME. Enjoy  
  
  
  
Mutio awoke to a flash of light that nearly blinded her through her eyelids and a crash so loud that she screamed in fright. Sitting up, she felt rain start to pelt her all over, the drops driven so fast by the wind that they stung when they hit her. Mutio quickly woke up Hayami, who was startled by the severity of the storm. He grabbed Mutio's arm and pulled her back to the edge of the forest and inside the hut he had built earlier. Mutio was amazed by the structure, having been asleep when it was built. Hayami grabbed some leftover branches and wedged them in the doorway, trying to keep out the driving rain. Eventually the door was as close to waterproof as was possible with the materials at hand. Mutio started to shiver, as she was soaking wet and the wind was making her especially cold. Hayami found what was left of his coat and wrapped it around Mutio's shoulders. He then sat her in his lap and wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep her as warm as possible. Mutio soon stopped shivering and curled up more comfortably in Hayami's lap, listening to the roaring storm outside the fragile hut. Hayami was examining the walls, looking for any area that looked like it was giving under the strain forced upon it by the wind.  
  
"I sure wish I could have tested this thing's durability before relying on it to protect us from this kind of stuff," Hayami said. The wind howled louder outside and the walls began to creak. Hayami held Mutio tighter to him as he waited for the inevitable collapse of the hut. But that moment never came, as the hut held up surprisingly well to the severe onslaught. As time passed and the storm showed no sign of letting up, the two began to get bored. It was then that Mutio had an idea. She excitedly tapped Hayami on the shoulder, and then touched his ear.  
  
"You want me to listen to you?" Hayami asked. Mutio nodded. Hayami sat back against the wall and Mutio sang the beginning of a new song, only a few notes. Then she motioned to Hayami.  
  
"Oooh, you are teaching me a song," Hayami said. Mutio nodded and sang the notes again, and Hayami hummed them back. Next Mutio added more to it, and Hayami repeated it. After it seemed that Hayami had mastered the tune, he and Mutio sang it together. Mutio swayed back and forth as she sang, and when she saw Hayami watching her intently she blushed and stopped.  
  
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but watch," Hayami admitted, looking at Mutio. Mutio smiled and went back to her singing, and within a few minutes continued her swaying motions. When the song was finished, Mutio sang a new song, and began to teach it to Hayami as well. So the two spent the time in the hut, singing and laughing and enjoying the whole thing, even though the storm still went on outside. Suddenly a low growl was heard reverberating though the hut, and Mutio became extremely frightened. Hayami laughed at her frightened expression, which caused Mutio to become angry.  
  
"It's just my stomach. I haven't in a while and am pretty hungry," Hayami said, pointing to his stomach. Mutio put her ear to it and sure enough, it emitted another low growl.  
  
"I will be right back, I am going to go run and see if I can find us some food. Don't leave the hut, ok?" Mutio nodded and Hayami removed enough of the branches to slip through. He quickly replaced the branches and hurried off into the woods. Mutio was worried, as the storm still showed no signs of letting up. She waited by the door, expecting Hayami to return any second. Mutio soon became worried, Hayami had not returned an almost an hour had passed. She was just about to leave the hut when he arrived. He quickly fixed the door where he had come in and showed Mutio an enormous bunch of bananas he had found, and even some coconuts that had fallen to the ground. Hayami had made sure to grab a sharp rock to crack open the coconuts. As Hayami went to sit down, he cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Mutio looked at his leg and saw that his ankle had swollen to almost twice its normal size. She rushed over to him and helped him lean against the wall, then examined his hurt leg.  
  
"It is pretty hard to see out there, and I guess I tripped on a root or something. Looks like I sprained it pretty badly, doesn't it?" Hayami said, looking at his ankle. Mutio gently poked the swollen area and Hayami cringed in pain.  
  
"Don't worry about it, it will get better soon enough," said Hayami. He picked up one of the coconuts and bashed a hole in it with the rock. He drank some of the coconut milk out of the hole, then offered it to Mutio. She hesitantly sipped at the coconut, but enjoyed the taste and gulped down the milk for almost a minute. When she finished she sat back, stuffed. Hayami ate a few bananas before he too was filled up. Hayami lay down on the hard floor and let Mutio lay her head on his chest, using it as a pillow. Soon both of them were asleep, and in a few hours the storm finally let up. 


	7. Pain

Guess what? That's right, I don't own these chars. Don't sue me. Do a wee little dance. Make just a bit of love. And hey, why not get down tonight while you're at it? Do it for frank, that poor fool.  
  
  
  
  
  
It had been 5 days since Mutio left.  
  
Hayami still couldn't believe what a fool he had been. Even with the events leading up to that night, he still should have controlled himself more. But now it was too late, and Mutio was gone. Hayami rested his head in his hands and wept quietly, recalling the worst night of his life.  
  
Hayami's ankle was healing nicely. Within a week most of the swelling had gone, but the pain was still there. But even worse than the pain was the feeling of helplessness that Hayami was experiencing. Every day Mutio had to bring him food. Every day Mutio had to bring him water. And worst of all, every day Mutio had to help him go to the edge of the forest so he could relieve himself, and then come get him when he was finished. Day by day this went on, and every day Hayami became more and more bitter about the situation. All along, he had been helping her. He had built the shelter, he had found the food, and he had sheltered her in the storm. And now the roles had been reversed by a stupid tree root. Hayami was inwardly raging at the rain, at his own clumsiness, at his ankle, and even at Mutio. And at the moment that his anger grew to its worst yet, Mutio shuffled into their hut and offered him a fish she had caught. As she was handing it to him, she tripped and accidentally kicked his ankle. Hayami screamed in pain, but recoiled when Mutio reached out to comfort him.  
  
"Don't touch me! I bet you planned that little trip, just so you could prolong my helplessness. You must love having so much control over me. Well you know what?!? I'm not going to take it anymore! Either you leave me alone until my leg heals, or you just leave!" Hayami screamed, releasing all of his pent-up emotions in one ruthless outburst. Mutio was on the verge of tears, her bottom lip quivering slightly. She moved closer to Hayami and was going to caress his face to show that she still loved him, when he did the unthinkable. He slapped her hand away and glared at her. Mutio looked at him for one long moment with tears running down her angelic face, and then she slowly turned and walked out of the hut. Hayami watched her go and said nothing, did not even attempt to stop her. 30 seconds passed, and then the impact of what had just happened hit home in Hayami's head. He silently cursed his stupidity, his anger, his selfishness. All that night he waited for Mutio to return, rehearsing what he would say to her to attempt to recover their relationship. But she never walked back through the door. He finally nodded off mid-morning, with still no sign of Mutio. As soon as he woke up, he limped out of the small hut and looked around. Hayami hoped with all his heart to see her sitting in the sand, gnawing on the remains of a fish she had just caught. Or even to see her wading ashore, having exhausted herself chasing anything that moved through the sea. Either would have been the most welcome sight Hayami had ever beheld. But no, all he saw was an empty beach, a beach that screamed at him for what he had done. Hayami bowed his head and returned to the hut, lonelier than he had ever been in his life.  
  
Every few hours Hayami would limp back to the door and look for Mutio, hoping to see her. And every few hours Hayami was forced to limp back inside, heartbroken. He kept up the pattern for 2 days, the hope in his heart diminishing with every trip to the door. At the end of the 2nd day, Hayami sank deep into the depths of depression. He collapsed on the ground, crying and calling out Mutio's name into the darkness. And as expected, no answer came.  
  
Now it had been 5 days, and there had been no change. Hayami was almost mad with despair, having lost the one person in the world that mattered to him. Time crawled by agonizingly slow without the joyful presence of Mutio. Hayami stopped eating altogether, not caring if his stomach growled or he grew weak with hunger. And then, with his throat parched by thirst, Hayami decided that living wasn't worth it anymore. He had lost all that was important to him in life, and it was all his fault. He had caused so much pain to the one he loved, and he would never be able to make it right. So Hayami limped to the ocean, bent his head down to the water, and began to drink the seawater. Knowing what kind of death he was bringing upon himself, Hayami decided that it would only be fair for him to go out like this. After what he had done, he deserved only the worst. So he drank until he could drink no more, and then he vomited on the sand. Long after his stomach was empty, Hayami's stomach convulsed. All he could taste was bile, and it burned his mouth and his throat. Once he could move, Hayami crawled back to the hut and prepared to die. He leaned against the wall opposite the door and waited, hoping that enough of the salt had gotten into his body to kill him.  
  
Hayami didn't know how long he had been there, but it was now dark outside. He listened to the waves crashing, and decided that this time he would swim until he could swim no more, and then he would drown. He started to get up, but the weakness brought on by the combination of no food and the ordeal with the sea water brought him back to the ground. Hayami almost passed out, the attempt to stand up having sapped all of his strength. It was then that he looked at the door; it was then that he saw Mutio.  
  
Mutio looked down at Hayami with an expression of pure horror. He was pale and looked as if he were already dead. Only the occasional moan issued from his mouth let her know that he still lived. As his head slowly rose and looked at her, she saw only pain in his eyes. The rage from the other night was gone; in its place was a void that chilled Mutio to her core. Grabbing an empty coconut shell, she turned towards the forest and began to race as fast as she could to the spring. She returned moments later, cool water filling the shell to the brim. Mutio knelt down beside Hayami and held the crude bowl to his lips, forcing him to drink. He struggled to swallow the water, but sighed as it worked its way down his throat, clearing away the last of the bile and quenching his raging thirst. When he had drunk almost half of the water she had brought with her, Mutio lowered the bowl from his mouth. She held his face with her hands and he looked at her with tears in his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry Mutio, I'm so very sorry," Hayami whispered, tears flowing freely down his face. Mutio put her finger on his lips to silence him, and then she hugged him to her. Hayami could barely put his arms around her, he was so weak. But it didn't matter. Mutio slowly rocked back and forth while Hayami sobbed on her shoulder, and she began to sing the song she sang when the storm raged outside their fragile home. 


	8. Care

Don't sue me; I'm not in the mood.  
  
naph  
  
  
  
The sun slowly rose over the horizon, and within minutes light was pouring into the little hut. Hayami opened his eyes and quickly put a hand over them, shading them from the bright sun. He rolled over on his right side and looked at the sleeping Mutio, who lay curled up next to him. With a sigh he recalled the events of the day before, the last thing he remembered being Mutio's singing to him. If she had not come back, he didn't know what he would have done. Sitting in that hut, dehydration mere hours from killing him, Hayami had realized that Mutio was his entire world. If he had lost her for good, he had nothing to live for. He was content to just watch her sleep, her angelic face resting so near to his. Hayami carefully put his arm around Mutio and pulled her up against him. He had been holding her for almost 30 minutes when she began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed that she was held tightly by Hayami. Mutio smiled and rolled over, looking Hayami in the face. Before she could do anything, Hayami blurted out the thought that had been filling his mind since awakening.  
  
"Mutio, I love you so much…I couldn't bear to lose you again," Hayami said while lightly stroking her face. Mutio smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his neck, and slowly leaned towards him until their lips met. The two passionately kissed for almost a minute before air was required. Hayami pulled Mutio over on top of him, and she lay her head down on his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeats. Hayami suddenly had an idea.  
  
"Sit up for a minute," Hayami said. Mutio sat up and leaned back against Hayami, who was leaning against the wall. Hayami brought his hands up to Mutio's shoulders and began to gently massage them, unsure if she would enjoy this as much as a human would. Mutio apparently did, for she sighed with contentment and immediately began to relax under Hayami's gentle ministrations. Soon Mutio began to move around under Hayami's hands, trying to get him to touch certain spots on her shoulders. Hayami caught on, and Mutio gasped as he hit a particularly tense bunch of muscles. While Mutio was immensely enjoying the massage, Hayami smiled to himself. During the time when he had been awake before Mutio, he had decided that he must do everything he could to make up for his idiocy over the last few days. Since Mutio was enjoying the massage so much, he figured that this would become a daily thing. Not that he minded, in fact he could think of nothing more enjoyable than sitting here, making Mutio comfortable. After a few more minutes of kneading her back and shoulders, Hayami had run out of tense spots. So he slowly stood up, motioned for Mutio to remain there, and walked out of the hut. Mutio was puzzled at first, but resolved to wait and see what Hayami was up to.  
  
Hayami returned about 15 minutes later with a large bunch of bananas and 4 coconuts. He once again indicated to Mutio that she was to remain where she was, and began to prepare the food. Using a rock he had picked up in the forest, he chipped away at the first coconut until a hole about the size of a quarter was created. He offered this to her, and she greedily drank the milk out of the coconut. By the time she had finished, Hayami had peeled a banana and handed it to her. Mutio fascinated by this sudden change in his demeanor. Last night, he was a pathetic shell of a man barely holding on to his life. But today, he was completely different. She really liked the pampering she was receiving, and instead of trying to do something for Hayami chose to let him continue. If she had tried to even move, Hayami would have stopped her. This was for her; she was to inconvenience herself in no way.  
  
After the meal, the two went for a short swim in the ocean. The waves were calm, the sun shining brightly, and gulls were picking their way across the beach. Hayami tried to body surf on one of the waves, but his timing was off and he was swept under. He came up coughing and sputtering with Mutio no where in sight. While he was looking for her, Hayami was suddenly struck in the back by a heavy object. He reflexively grabbed at whatever it was, and was greeted by Mutio, grinning mischievously. Hayami laughed and scooped her up out of the water, carrying her up the beach. After gently laying her down onto the sand, Hayami sat down beside her. The two lay there for what seemed like hours, the warm sun causing them to doze off once or twice. As night approached, Hayami and Mutio entered their hut and feasted on the remaining bananas. When they were finished, Hayami was at a loss what to do next. As if reading his mind, Mutio began to sing. Hayami remembered the tune and hummed along with her, trying not to interfere with her beautiful voice. The singing lasted almost an hour, and the pair soon were pretty sleepy. Mutio curled up in Hayami's lap and within moments was fast asleep. Hayami just smiled, extremely uncomfortable but not caring. Mutio sighed in her sleep and clutched Hayami tighter. In response, Hayami pulled her closer to himself. She soon calmed back down and after a while Hayami too was sound asleep. 


End file.
